Book Excerpt: 1979-1985 Kawasaki KZ500, KZ550, ZX550 Repair Manual
ENGINE
PISTON INSPECTION
Carefully clean the carbon from the piston crown with a chemical remover or with a soft scraper.
Clean the carbon and gum from the ring grooves with a broken ring or a groove cleaner (Figure 69). Any deposits left in the grooves will prevent the rings from seating correctly and may result in piston damage.
Inspect the grooves carefully for burrs, nicks or broken or cracked lands. Examine each ring groove for burrs, dented edges and wear. Pay particular attention to the top compression ring groove, as it usually wears more than the others.
To check piston wear, measure the outside diameter of the piston with a micrometer. Take the measurement 3/16 in. (5 mm) above the bottom of the piston skirt, at a right angle to the piston pin bore (Figure 70).
If the diameter of the piston measures less than the wear limit in Table 1, have the piston reconditioned or install a new piston.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The electrical system includes the battery, ignition system, charging system, electric starter, horn and gauges or sensors on some models. Table 1 (bulb specifications) is at the end of the chapter.
WIRING DIAGRAMS
Wiring diagrams are located at the end of this book.
FUSES
There are 3 main fuses in a fuse box under the left side cover. Remove the electrical cover screw and the cover (Figure 1). Slide the fuse box out and open it (Figure 2).
The main fuse is 20A (A, Figure 3) and the headlight and taillight circuit fuses (B) are 10A. Inside the cover are spare fuses; always carry spares.
Some 1981 and later models have 2 additional fuses for electrical accessories. They are in a separate fuse box under the electrical cover or behind the fuel tank (Figure 4). Both accessory fuses are 10A.
Whenever a fuse blows, find out the reason for the failure before replacing the fuse. Usually the trouble is a short circuit in the wiring.
This may be caused by worn-through insulation, a disconnected wire shorting to ground or possibly a wire pinched during assembly or installation of parts.
